Vietnam continues to be susceptible to outbreaks of bird flu and the A/H5N1 virus remains deadly to those who contract it, an official said in Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper Friday.

Nguyen Tran Hien, chief of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, made the statement after Vietnam reported its first two bird flu fatalities this year.

The deaths came after nearly 20 months of no reported cases of humans with the A/H5N1 virus.

According to Hien, although the latest two victims were in the prime of life– an 18-year-old man in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang and a 26-year-old woman in Soc Trang Province, also in the Mekong Delta-- that does not mean that the virus has become stronger.

He said that because the virus is specific to poultry, it is impossible to say whether a particular group of people may be immune to it. An individual's chance of contracting bird flu depends on the person's level of exposure to the virus and genetic predispositions, he added.

In fact, while many people have been exposed to the virus, only a few have become ill, the official was quoted as saying.

However, mortality rates for the virus are quite high, possibly 100 percent, so people must be extremely cautious, he stressed.

When asked why there have been no human reports of human cases in northern Vietnam since May, 2010, while the southern provinces recorded a few cases, Hien said it was because southern provinces host more poultry. Moreover, the practice of letting ducks roam freely in the fields has increased the risk of humans contracting the virus.

Hien was also quoted as saying that the scientists from his agency are still assessing the effectiveness and safety of A/H5N1 vaccines. Vaccines are expected to be used extensively in the near future.

According to a World Bank report in October last year, Vietnam was among the countries most affected by A/H5N1, with 119 human cases confirmed as of March 2011, of which 59 were fatal.

Since 2003, bird flu outbreaks have killed and led to the forced culling of tens of millions of fowl in Vietnam.

The World Health Organization has ranked Vietnam the country second most affected by bird flu after Indonesia.

"There's always a chance to double revenue or profit. We want to have RM4 billion or even RM5 billion in the next five years," he said.

Lim said the target was achievable in tandem with the company's plan to invest heavily in technology and automation.

"It's important for the company to invest in technology and automation in order to take it to the next level. We will invest more in human capital, technology, automation and research and development.

"This will include recruiting, retraining and retaining of staff," he told a briefing for fund managers and the media.

Top Glove has allocated RM100 million for its capital expenditure (CAPEX) for this year.

Last year, between RM100 million and RM120 million was spent for CAPEX.

Lim said the company expects to achieve 30 per cent earnings growth by December this year with the weaker latex price and stronger US dollar.

"This will be achieved if we are able to sell 45 billion pieces of gloves. Today, we are selling 40 billion pieces of gloves. We are getting closer to the five billion pieces.

"We are in a much better position this year. Last year was competitive with the headwinds and high latex price," he said.

Managing Director Lee Kim Meow said Top Glove planned to buy 10,000 hectares of plantation land in Cambodia.

He said the company was looking at several pieces of plantation land in the north-east and south-east of Cambodia, bordering Vietnam.

Lee said Top Glove would go into this venture on its own as it had some experience in the rubber business.

"This plan is expected to materialise this year. The timing is right due to the weaker latex price. It's good to be in a country where there's labour," he said.

The company has estimated RM160 million for development cost, which includes land purchase, for seven years. With the purchase, Top Glove will be involved in downstream, mid-stream and upstream business.

Lee said the company would continue acquiring plantation land in Cambodia, Indonesia, Sabah and Sarawak.

Lee said the company would look for land at good prices in these four places.

"We are in the midst of applying through the governments and agencies. We hope to firm up on these in the next three to six months," he added. - BERNAMA